Joy in the Journey
I took my little ones to a pumpkin farm earlier this week and was reminded of the simpler joys in life. Decked out in his tractor-green John Deere t-shirt, his matching John Deere hat, and his frog-green “chore boots”, Joshua looked like a true born and bred farm boy. While the pumpkin farm itself was a delightful destination filled with goats to feed, corn to scoop and a mechanical cow to milk, the forty-mile drive to get there may have been the highlight of the day. When I packed the kids into the van and headed for the interstate that would take us to the location of the pumpkin farm, I didn’t stop to consider just how congested the slow and winding farm roads in between might be on a dry October day during harvest season. Nor did I ponder the sheer joy that such a drive would provide for my wanna-be-farmer boy.
A mere fifteen miles into our trip, we began to spot gigantic green combines in the fields that flanked the highway. Joshua’s awe-struck, “WOWs” cued me to slow the pace and set the cruise control at a mere 25 mph so that we wouldn’t miss a single site along the way. Green tractors, yellow combines, red wagons, and blue trucks decorated the golden brown fields with a rainbow of color. As we meandered the rural roads, the small pictures in our well-worn tractor board books came to life before my son’s very eyes. In two-year-old chatter, Joshua narrated the action in the fields and waved at each hardworking farmer resembling a small dot sitting in the huge cabs of the hefty machines. The further we drove, the more we stumbled upon giant semi trucks parked expectantly along the road, waiting to be filled with the golden fruit of the harvest. As we neared the interstate, I spotted a grain elevator on the edge of a tiny town, and we veered off the highway to watch the “action” as the harvest was transported into huge bins for safe keeping. While darling Miss Maggie snoozed through our journey, Joshua clapped and laughed and nearly leaped out of his car seat in an attempt to smash his little face against the window and see more clearly.
As we pulled onto the interstate, Josh pleaded, “Mommy, SLOW DOWN. I can’t see SO FAST!” And I marveled at the poignant truth wrapped in his simple toddler plea. Just as the rainbow of tractors became a blur when I set the cruise at 70mph and kept pace with the impatient vehicles whipping along the interstate, so the rainbow of life’s simple pleasures can become a mere blur when I set my mind on moving quickly and efficiently through my days. When I cannot pause to watch a caterpillar crawl or stop to chat with the wide-eyed preschooler in the grocery store aisle, I miss the chance to unearth some of the priceless treasures God has placed in my midst.
When we finally arrived at the pumpkin farm, my wristwatch warned me that our “play time” had been shortened by our tangent along the way. But with a smile, I followed my John Deere Boy to the barn and reminded myself that we had already enjoyed a priceless “field trip” before we’d even arrived. My toddler may not know it, but he’s teaching me a truth that I wish I’d learned earlier in my decade of mothering: more often than not, the JOY IS IN THE JOURNEY!
I just love this post! Finding joy in the journey is a constant struggle for me (perhaps for everyone?) and I love when God brings reminders to me on days when I need it the most. Thank you.
I found your blog after doing a google search on your name. You’re going to be speaking to some women at our church soon, so I googled you to find out more. 🙂 I kept thinking, “I know these kids…how on earth do I know these kids????” when it finally hit me. I don’t know any of them, but I’ve seen their pictures in OUR FAMILY DOCTOR’s office dozens of times. Hahaha! You’re a beautiful writer!!